Recommended hard rock and heavy metal

Legendary hard rock masterpieces and popular songs etched in the history of music

Live Spot LugHiroyasu Hirata
I’m Hiroyasu Hirata from Live Spot RAG. When I was 15, I was blown away by how cool music—especially rock—was, and I started playing guitar and formed a band. I’m from Kochi Prefecture, where there weren’t many live houses or concert venues, so there were few opportunities to experience live music. Back then, our sources of information were magazines, CDs, and even VHS tapes (!?). Still, I was captivated by the sparkle of music, and I spent my days enjoying guitar and music, mostly neglecting my studies. I moved to Kyoto for university and “graduated” from the light music club, so to speak (laugh). Until then, I mainly listened to Japanese rock and Western hard rock, but thanks to seniors and peers I learned there was so much more music in the world. Now I listen to anything that strikes me as good, regardless of genre. After graduating, I joined RAG. After about six years in the office and about ten years in the music studio, I now work at the long-established Live Spot RAG, which has been around for 39 years, mainly handling promotions. Being exposed to the “real music” performed by Japan’s top musicians and delivering it to our audience lets me feel the brilliance of music anew every day. I still play guitar and keep a band going casually, and in recent years I’ve even started singing—better late than never. I’ve fully become an old guy by now, but I hope we can continue to chase “what lies beyond the dreams I painted with music back then” together.

Hard rock, rooted in blues rock, transformed its sound to become heavier and more dramatic.

The achievements of Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Van Halen, Queen, and Aerosmith are nothing short of legendary.

For those who listened in real time, it remains a beloved formative musical experience; for younger generations, it offers chances to discover music they didn’t know and to make new findings.

In this article, we’ve picked out great hard rock bands and classic tracks that will surely be talked about for generations to come.

Even within the hard rock genre, there are songs that head in many different directions, so please enjoy!

Legendary hard rock masterpieces and popular songs etched in the history of music (41–50)

change comes aroundHarem Scarem

Harem Scarem – Mood Swings II 04 – Change Comes Around

change comes aroundHarem Scarem

They’re a hard rock band from Canada.

It’s the fourth track from their debut album, featuring a driving, cutting rhythm intertwined with high-pitched vocals.

The guitar solo is plenty melodic, and the overall arrangement is polished to a level you wouldn’t expect from a first album.

The rapid-fire shifts in the song’s development are exciting, and the way it slows down at the end is a nice touch.

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Rising ForceYngwie Malmsteen

Yngwie J Malmsteen – Rising Force Live in Leningrad, 1989

Rising ForceYngwie Malmsteen

In the hard rock/heavy metal scene—where the guitar came to the point of determining a band’s popularity—speedsters emerged who showed off blistering fast playing.

Yngwie Malmsteen is a prime example; trained in classical guitar, his technique was exceptional.

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Runaway TrainSoul Asylum

Soul Asylum – Runaway Train (Official HD Video)

Runaway TrainSoul Asylum

Although Soul Asylum is recognized as alternative rock, they actually have many hard and loud songs.

This track is quite different, but since it’s the Grammy-winning single, it’s probably their most well-known song, isn’t it? In this promotional video, photos of missing children were used, and I’ve heard that some of them were actually found.

The power of music is amazing.

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forever youngTYKETTO

Tyketto – Forever Young

forever youngTYKETTO

Bluzy, soulful vocals paired with a weeping guitar.

A catchy chorus.

The song itself is straightforward, macho, and tinged with melancholy—classic American hard rock.

Precisely because it’s simple, you’ll be knocked out after just one listen.

This vibe is a rare treasure these days.

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ScatterbrainJeff Beck

Jeff Beck – Scatterbrain (Performing this week…Live At Ronnie Scott’s)

ScatterbrainJeff Beck

Jeff Beck, counted as one of the three great rock guitarists, did form a band that came very close to hard rock at one point, but afterward he gravitated more toward jazz and fusion.

This is a distinctive masterpiece that occupies a position as if hard rock and fusion had been fused together.

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Still of the NightWhitesnake

Still of the Night (2018 Remaster)

Still of the NightWhitesnake

A leading British hard rock band formed around former Deep Purple vocalist David Coverdale.

This hard-hitting track, included on their 1987 album Whitesnake (Serpens Albus), which became a worldwide hit, showcases their global popularity.

Centered on a cool, Led Zeppelin-esque guitar riff, its dynamic, over–six-and-a-half-minute, ebb-and-flow arrangement makes it an irresistibly impressive masterpiece.

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freak of the weekFreak Kitchen

Freak Kitchen – Freak of the Week – Official Music Video

freak of the weekFreak Kitchen

A Swedish trio led by Mattias Eklundh, famed as an eccentric/virtuoso guitarist.

Their catchy melodies riding atop a thick, three-piece-defying sound are highly addictive.

What they do is technically very demanding, yet the distinctive melodies that make you forget the difficulty are a unique hallmark found only in this band.

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